1974 MKT Dispatcher's Phone Audio - West, Texas - A Tribute to the Train Order.

The year was 1974 - Train orders moved trains for decades. We will honor that tradition in this video. A fellow railfan, George Slover, had the presence of mind to record the MKT dispatcher's phone audio at the MKT depot in West, Texas on a cassette tape recorder. Dispatcher's phone audio recording is a unique snapshot in time past for railfans to enjoy "the way it was" on the Katy. An Amtrak train had been rerouted over the MKT. We met the Amtrak train at West, Texas agency.
In 1974 we never imagined the dispatcher's phone at the operator's desk as well as train orders, the caboose and brakemen, even the depot and clerks/operators and agents would ever disappear from the Katy, or any other railroad for that matter. Now, fifty years later, not only are those important positions gone, but we lost the entire MKT railroad.
In this video, train order related images at Waxahachie, Lancaster, Dallas , and near Hillsboro, Texas were added to complement the audio track.
Opening stills were taken inside the MKT depot in Denison, TX Train Dispatcher's office and Waxahachie depot circa 1974. Notice the details, the dispatcher's scissor phone (a foot pedal opened the mic for the train order operator/agent), radios and local CTC switch control on the left side, train order hoops, desk, file with train order pad and lots of other neat detail.
The former MKT mainline from Waxahachie to Hillsboro was removed many years ago.
The Waxahachie depot has been restored.
Dipsatcher's phone audio track courtesy George Slover and used by permission.
8mm silent film clip and 35mm slides and prints are from a personal collection.
We are preserving railroad historical film, photos and stories in the decades 1950 to 1990. We would appreciate your "Like" and "Subscribe."

[@timlewis8368]

So glad you included the audio. Also the order sticks. Great memories!

[@sclm046]

Thank you for the photos, 8mm clips and the dispatcher phone audio. Former SP, San Antonio Division. It never entered my mind to record anything, even when I knew it would "be a thing of the past". We also had a "message circuit" that could be used as well. It could be difficult at times to use the message circuit as there could be a lot of crackling and other interference.

[@timetable5245]

Thanks for watching and your comment. That helps us know more about railroad communications.

[@rimodeler7963]

Some great footage ........ especially enjoyed seeing the train orders being hooped-up. Thank you for sharing! Mike

[@timetable5245]

Thanks for watching and your kind comment.

[@georgeslover1699]

Love the audio in the background! Great memories of the past and old time railroading.

[@timetable5245]

Thanks for catching the audio on the dispatchers phone that day. I wish I'd had the presence of mind to record some dispatcher's phone at the Lancaster depot. You were thinking ahead that day.

[@KatyPacific382]

I have a question, do you have any footage of the Missouri Kansas Texas steam locomotives in color? Because I'd live to see that, plus their H-3 class pacifics are my favorite engines

[@timetable5245]

I wish I had some color pictures of MKT steam. I'd love to share them on this channel, but my dad never photographed any MKT steam. I don't know why.

[@intercityrailpal]

Shots after GM got the mail and express put on their trucks. Today's it's XPO De Joy's trucks. Slow and expensive. Air Mail even gone De Joy got rid of it . It's all his trucks! Postage jacked up again and again too. Services cut cut cut.